Here is the latest from Viacom. I won't commment on it yet.
[/h][h=6]With tonight’s midnight deadline fast approaching, DirecTV is doing a lot of spinning, and very little to get a deal done. Viacom’s team is ready and willing to negotiate. While we wait for DirecTV to come back to the table, let’s take a minute to separate fact from fiction.
Viacom is the most watched programmer on DirecTV. At any given time, one out of five DirecTV viewers is watching one of our channels. Nickelodeon is the #1 network on DirecTV. Yet, DirecTV has been paying us the same, bargain rate for our channels for seven years. It’s an old deal, plain and simple. For as many viewers as we deliver for DirecTV, we believe we’ve earned the right to reasonably update that deal.
DirecTV tossed out some big numbers today that are very misleading. Here’s the truth: Viacom is asking DirecTV for a rate increase of a couple pennies per day, per subscriber. It’s a good, fair deal. In fact, it’s every bit as good for DirecTV – and, in some cases, better – than the deals we have with all of DirecTV’s cable and satellite competitors. DirecTV pays a lot more to programmers with far fewer viewers than Viacom.
We invest an enormous amount of effort, time, and money to produce shows that we think our audiences will love. In 2012 alone, we will spend $3 billion on programming. Contrary to DirecTV’s claims, we’ve got a lot of great new programming coming up in the next few weeks. Awkward and Teen Wolf are in the middle of great sophomore seasons on MTV. Tosh.0 and Workaholics are back with new episodes on Comedy Central. VH1 has new episodes of Mob Wives. Nickelodeon has a much anticipated special featuring British sensation One Direction (just ask your teenage daughter, if you have one).
We do agree with DirecTV on one point. Times are tough. DirecTV subscribers pay a lot of hard earned money – DirecTV should continue to give its customers Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Spike, TV Land and all the Viacom networks they pay for. DirecTV raised rates on its subscribers by 4% in January. The company is on its way to a record $5 billion in profit in 2012. DirecTV does not need to pass an increase of a couple pennies a day on to its subscribers. DirecTV says it’s fighting for its consumers, but, the numbers tell a different story.
That’s how we at Viacom see it. We’ll continue to work hard to keep our channels on DirecTV through a fair and equitable deal that respects our viewers and recognizes the value of our programming.
Thank you for your support and stay tuned.